Jesuits form network to intensify work among migrants

Jesuits' Asia Pacific coordinator for Migration and Secretary for Social Ministries Father Benny Juliawan convened the network’s inaugural meeting in Jakarta from June 3-6.

Indonesia

Jun 30 2014, 7:17 PM

JCAP migration network organizing committee members.

Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific has formed a network of organizations working for migrants to recognize the current state of the migration services and kick start common programs for the next three years.

The network include Jesuit institutions like Tokyo Migrant Desk in Japan, Yiutsari in Korea, Rerum Novarum Centre in Taiwan, UGAT Foundation in the Philippines, Sahabat Insan in Indonesia, JRS Asia Pacific, and Jesuit Social Services Australia.

Jesuits' Asia Pacific coordinator for Migration and Secretary for Social Ministries Father Benny Juliawan convened the network’s inaugural meeting in Jakarta from June 3-6.

The reporting among the migrant-sending countries (Indonesia, Philippines) and migrant-receiving countries (Japan, Korea, Taiwan) turned out to be a learning in discovering rich possibilities of collaboration in the next three years, Father Juliawan said.

The network also agreed on an Action Plan for 2014 to 2017. This plan had long been in the making through meetings in Klaten (2010), Seoul (2011) and Manila (2012).

The meeting decided that the key focus groups are migrant workers and undocumented migrants, the two groups that the Jesuit institutions work the most with.

Father Juliawan said that for a common program, the network seeks to target the brokerage system, which is a major source of injustices to migrant workers.

The migration industry relies heavily on the brokerage system to run the business of recruitment and placement of workers across state borders. The role of the state so far has been minimal especially in terms of protecting workers’ rights.

The worst cases of injustice always occurred where the power of agencies was unchecked and government officials colluded with them, he said.